


Tea and Hugging

by oswinry



Category: Doctor Who
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 20:14:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17351861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oswinry/pseuds/oswinry
Summary: In the aftermath of "The Magician's Apprentice"/"The Witch's Familiar," the Doctor cares for Clara. Clara returns the favor.





	Tea and Hugging

After the Daleks, after Missy and Davros and the sewers, and once Clara’s shaking has calmed a bit and she has stopped hearing echoes of _Carmen_ in some small, locked-away part of her memories, there is tea. She is sitting, wrapped in a hideous plaid blanket, at the table in the small green kitchen. The Doctor moves about behind her, the gentleness he hides behind a rough accent and bristling eyebrows evident in his quiet movements and quick glances at her between tasks. He finishes making tea with one final clink of the spoon and brings two cups to the table, setting one before her. She takes a sip; the tea is black and strong, just the way she likes it. “Thank you,” she says, glad to notice that her voice is now steady and clear.  
  
The Doctor nods gruffly. “Are you all right?” he mutters.  
  
She smiles. “I’m fine, Doctor. And that’s the third time you’ve asked that.”  
  
“If you say so.”  
  
“I do. And you, old man, need to stop worrying. I’m not going anywhere.”  
  
He peers into the cup of tea as if it contains all the secrets of the universe. “I…know. I just, I worry. You get in these situations, and it’s always my fault.”  
  
“Hey.” Clara leans over, touches his hand. “It is not your fault what I do. It is my _choice_. Remember that, yeah?”  
  
Reluctantly, he nods, sipping at his tea. He makes a face and reaches for the sugar bowl, dumping three sugar cubes into the cup. “Your taste in tea is disgusting,” he declares.  
  
Clara bristles, mildly horrified at the amount of sugar now in his cup. “For someone with that amount of eyebrow, you have an appalling sweet tooth.”  
  
“My sweet tooth has nothing to do with my eyebrows. Your logic is skewed. I expected better from a schoolteacher.”  
  
Clara snorts, but lets it be. They drink their tea in companionable silence. She feels the warmth settle in her stomach, spread through her body, and she relaxes further.  
  
Finally, her teacup is empty. She sits for one minute more, basking in warmth, and then stands to bring it to the sink. “You finished?” she asks the Doctor.  
  
He nods heavily, making a sort of half-hearted movement toward the cup. She huffs a fond breath and takes it for him. “So where next?” she asks. “Someplace a little bit friendlier, I hope. Maybe not so inhabited by deadly killer monsters. And I’m making a new rule. No sewers from now on. Absolutely, none.” She nods decisively.  
  
The Doctor smiles at her, raising his formidable eyebrows. “Don’t you ever stop?” he inquires.  
  
“Oh, _you’re_ asking me that?”  
  
“Well, it’s a fair question. I’m a Time Lord, I play by different rules. You–” he waves a hand–"are a human. You need sleep, and relaxation, and all that boring stuff I never bother with.“  
  
She grins at him. “I can keep up with you any day.”  
  
Something very old and very sad crosses his face for a minute, but it passes and he smiles. “I don’t doubt it.” He stands and moves closer to her, walking more slowly than usual.  
  
She frowns. “Doctor, are you all right? I never asked.” Why didn’t I ask, she wonders, and pushes the thought away.  
  
“Perfectly fine, wonderful really. Just–need a moment–” he lurches to the side.  
  
Clara lunges for him, and squeaks as she catches the brunt of his unfairly-tall weight. She staggers back a step and then holds firm. “Doctor, what’s wrong?”  
  
“Nothing’s wrong,” he says, waving an airy hand, or trying to. He doesn’t move from his position, draped over her. He’s practically bent double, she notices, and hates him a little bit. “I just need a bit to recover. Getting your life force nearly sucked out by a remarkably coordinated nest of snakes does tend to have that effect.”  
  
Clara groans. “You could have said something! I wouldn’t have pushed you.”  
  
She can sense him smiling at her again. “Didn’t want to slow you down, Clara,” he says into her shoulder.  
  
She pats his head gingerly, enjoying the feel of the soft curls. “You never slow me down.”  
  
He relaxes more against her. The warmth is very nice, though her back is starting to ache from the strain. “You’re a pillar of strength, Clara. Never change.”  
  
“I won’t,” she promises.  
  
“A rather short pillar,” he begins, teasing. She summons a burst of strength and heaves him off of her.  
  
“No remarks about my height when you’re draped all over me like some six-foot red velvet baby giraffe.”  
  
“Baby giraffe?” he questions indignantly, leaning against the wall. “That’s a new one.”  
  
She offers him her arm, laughing. “C'mon, you. You can pop over to your bedroom, and I’ll find some sort of trouble on the Tardis until you wake up.”  
  
“No getting into trouble on my timeship! She’s sensitive.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, spoil all my fun. She’s warmed up to me,” Clara tells him.  
  
His smile is infectious. “I’m glad you two like each other. Took you long enough.”  
  
“Oi, it’s not my fault your ship’s grumpy…”  
  
They continue to bicker on the way to his bedroom, Clara doing her best to support him. Finally, they teach the door of his bedroom. She helps him to the bed, and the Doctor kicks off his shoes and lies down. On an impulse, Clara kisses the top of his head before turning to leave. She imagines he is blushing, but isn’t quite sure.  
  
“Clara?” His voice stops her at the door.  
  
“Yes, Doctor?”  
  
“You’re a marvel, you really are.” He is slurring his words slightly with exhaustion.  
  
Clara smiles fondly. “Go to sleep. But thank you.”  
  
“No. Thank you,” he insists.  
  
“You’re welcome,” Clara says. “But I recognize an avoiding-bedtime maneuver when I see one. Good night.”  
  
She clicks the door behind her and goes in search of trouble.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!  
> I can also be found on [tumblr](https://actual-bill-potts.tumblr.com).


End file.
